Filmed in Japanese fisherman town, Taiji, during 2009, The Cove investigates and condemns the hunting of dolphin in the Japanese culture as a documentary film. This documentary is portrayed from the perspective of an ocean conservationist to highlight the drastic numbers of dolphins slaughtered in the Taiji dolphin hunting drive which can amount to approximately 23,000. More specifically, the location where the dolphins are killed is in a cove which is not easily accessible and hidden from the view of public. The climax of the documentary is the actual footage caught by filming in secret, showing the migrating dolphins being herded into a cove, being caught in nets and most importantly, being stabbed multiple times using spears/knives until they are dead. By the time when all the dolphins are lifeless, the seawater around the vicinity of the cove was literally dyed blood red from the slaughtering moments before. The film is biased towards the unnecessary cruelty of the dolphin hunting that is practiced in Japan as expected, which makes it susceptible to criticisms towards their secret filming and unpleasant portrayal of the Japanese. We were prompted to address several issues based on what we understood from the documentary film, such as:
Why is it wrong to kill dolphins and whales?
Anecdotal scenes in the documentary attempted to characterize dolphins as sentient beings which are also capable of emotions, making it morally wrong to regard them as lower creatures. Zoologist Lori Marino from Emory University concluded that dolphins should be given human status because they are more intelligent than chimpanzees, after comparing the size of their brains using MRI scans. The presence of cortex and neocortex enable dolphins to recognize themselves in mirrors, further implying that they are self-aware and have an individual sense of self which, according to ethics expert Dr Thomas White from Loyola Marymount University, is similar to the human mind. Dolphins in captivity or under observation have shown distinct personalities and being able to learn simple symbol-based language, such as body gestures from trainers.
In the case of Flipper, the dolphin under the care of O'Barry, he was suspected to be depressed from being imprisoned and abandoned after filming, leading to its conscious decision of suicide while in the embrace of its trainer. Several witnesses also provided first-hand accounts of being protected or rescued by dolphins in the presence of aggressive sharks. An international team of researchers from Association for the Advancement of Science even went as far as to discuss the "declaration of rights" for these cetaceans (water-dwelling mammals, including porpoises), which includes giving them the same rights to life, liberty and well-being as humans. If dolphins are considered as an individual, deliberate killings will be ethically equivalent to murder of human beings.
Meat procured from dolphins and whales are essentially worthless in terms of nutrition, not to mention potentially harmful for human consumption due to the presence of mercury. Their meat is also rumored to be intentionally mislabeled, which is dishonest in business itself, due to their low values in the market. From a monetary standpoint, the profits from whale and dolphin meat are often marginal and not worth the effort. Since their meat contribute nothing in providing nutrition for human survival or even sustaining the nation's seafood economy, dolphin and whale hunting are obviously an unnecessary and superfluous cruelty.
Dolphins and whales are also considered to be endangered species which should be protected. The uncontrolled and unwarranted slaughter of dolphins and whales by the Japanese should be made liable for prosecution.
Why do the Japanese kill dolphins and whales?
For many whalers and dolphin hunters, these cetaceans are a lucrative source of income since aquariums and dolphinariums offer a hefty sum for these creatures. Even though dolphin meat is considered worthless, a live dolphin can easily fetch $150,000USD, according to SaveJapanDolphins.org. The entertainment industry, such as theme parks or exhibition centers, will send representatives to pick out healthy, young and attractive dolphins before the rest are mercilessly to death. As money is the biggest incentive for humankind, it is not surprising to see the lengths people go through for some quick cash, even at the expense of another creature's suffering.
The Japanese, especially those from Taiji, also rationalize that hunting dolphins and whales is a culture their ancestors passed down from the previous generations. The last moments captured on the footage included leisure conversations between fishermen who discussed about the best methods to kill whales. The context taken from those scenes seems to imply that they do view the killings as 'normal' as enjoying sports. However, this also contradicts the norms of citizens who live in developed cities, with many of them oblivious about the issue of whaling and dolphin hunting. It also appears that whale and dolphin meat are not staple food in Japan, as claimed by the people from Taiji. This contradiction may be due to the dramatization and generalization from the Taiji Japanese to reason their actions. While it may be part of the culture for the people in Taiji, it will be a fallacy of hasty generalization to claim that the whole of Japan hunts whales and dolphins as part of their culture.
Misdirected or misplaced nationalism is also suspected to be one of the reasons for the Taiji fishermen's persistence in killing whales and dolphins. Ever since Japan's defeat in WWII, they have been subjected to numerous intervention in the political and economical sectors while ruling their nation. As expected, war veterans, the older generations from that particular period of time or even conservative Japanese will not take foreign interference very kindly in terms of their social and cultural matters. Since their cultural practices are under their direct control, they will not easily relinquish or change any of them just because of protests from upset environmentalists.
Aggressive Dolphin Behaviour
With these questions answered, I would like to include a second opinion on the issue of dolphin and whale hunting. According to several sources, dolphins were documented to show aggressive behavior, not only towards their own species but towards other species such as humans as well. Dolphins are not simple creatures which are friendly, contrary to popular belief, but also potentially fatal under certain circumstances. Gangs of male bottle-nosed dolphins in the coast of Western Australia were observed by researchers from the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth, who documented them "harassing and intimidating sexually receptive mature female dolphins". (Connor, R. 1999) In recent sightings, bottle-nosed dolphins are the official suspects for the increase in dead porpoises and even baby dolphin infanticide, both of which sustained fatal internal injuries.
While these findings are not a justification for the unethical killings of dolphins, the purpose is to remind humans to not be presumptuous of dolphins by only one-sided facts. If humans consider them as equals, this will make a dolphin liable and responsible for their every action, including the infliction of pain or even the killing of another creature. Supposing that dolphins have personalities just like humans, it should be taken into account that they are capable of possessing unfavorable human qualities as well.
References
Woollacott, E. (January 4, 2010) Dolphins are people, say scientists. TG Daily. Retrieved from http://www.tgdaily.com/general-sciences-features/45261-dolphins-are-people-say-scientists
Collins, N. (February 21, 2012) Dolphins 'should be recognized as non-human persons'. The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/9093407/Dolphins-should-be-recognised-as-non-human-persons.html
Blundell, N. (January 25, 2008) Killer dolphins baffle marine experts. The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3323070/Killer-dolphins-baffle-marine-experts.html
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